Charlotte Hornets

THE DRAFT: The Hornets made an interesting pick with Kentucky center Jamaal Magloire. Taken at No. 19 overall, he's 6-foot-10 and has the muscle and skills to make himself a presence at all times. But he doesn't do it, and he became a source of frustration for Kentucky fans and coaches. He averaged a respectable but unimpressive 13 points and nine rebounds as a senior. WHAT'S NEXT: Charlotte proved to be the most resilient team in the league last year, and coach Paul Silas gets a lot of credit.

Heat guard Norris Cole watches film of his games on almost a daily basis. It allows opportunities to detect any problems. After a summer of examining video, he came to one conclusion. The part of his game that needs most development is being more aggressive offensively. Cole said Monday he wants to become more of a scoring threat. "We had so many playmakers [last year] that there were times I deferred to let those guys make the plays," Cole said. "They were great at it….

RICKY DAVIS * HT.: 6-5. * WT.: 195. * POSITION: Forward. * COLLEGE: Iowa. * WHAT THEY NEEDED: There are so many questions here that cannot be answered by a draft. For example, what happens to free-agent centers Vlade Divac and Matt Geiger? Do both go or just one? Can Anthony Mason co-exist with coach Dave Cowens? * WHAT THEY GOT: Davis, who has only one year of college experience, should get some playing time on a team that needs help in a lot of places. Center Andrew Betts (7-1, 250)

Last year Miami Heat guard Mario Chalmers was talking about improving his brand around this time. Now, it's more of a survival approach. Much has changed for Chalmers after a poor performance in last season's playoffs, especially the NBA Finals. It has led to a different outlook entering training camp. He's focused solely on proving his struggles were a fluke, not on shoe endorsements or commercials. "My situation is a little bit different," Chalmers said. "Coming into this season, I'm a lot more hungry.

Kendall Gill has reportedly signed a contract with the Charlotte Hornets, possibly clearing the way for a trade that would send him to the Seattle SuperSonics. The Gaston Gazette reported that Gill signed the deal Thursday in Chicago. He reportedly met with agent Arn Tellem and the sides completed a seven-year, $26.6 million deal... First-round draft choice George Lynch, who helped North Carolina win the NCAA championship last spring, has signed a contract with the Los Angeles Lakers. Terms weren't announced, but the Los Angeles Times reported that Lynch had agreed to a five-year contract.

A look at Miami Heat first-round acquisition Shabazz Napier, the point guard out of UConn selected at No. 24 in Thursday's NBA Draft by the Charlotte Hornets and then dealt to the Heat: Player: Shabazz Napier Selected: No. 24 by Charlotte Hornets, dealt to Heat (Heat send No. 26 pick P.J. Hairston, No. 55 pick and future second-round pick to Charlotte). Height: 6-1. Weight: 180. School: Connecticut. Born: July 14, 1991. Highlights: First-team All-American as senior . . . American Athletic Conference Player of the Year as senior . . . Was Big East All-Rookie as a freshman . . . Played four seasons at UConn . . . Led Huskies to NCAA Tournament championship in 2011 and 2014 averaging team-high 18 points and ranking second on team at 5.9 rebounds per game as a senior.

The Seattle SuperSonics traded Dana Barros and Eddie Johnson to the Charlotte Hornets for Kendall Gill, finally pulling off a long-rumored deal. The Hornets also received the option to swap its 1994 first-round draft choice for the Sonics pick next year. Gill, a guard who was the Hornets' first-round draft choice in 1991, averaged 16.9 points and 4.9 rebounds per game last season. Gill made the deal possible when he signed a contract last week for a reported $26.6 million over seven years.

Master P's no-limits attitude has him dreaming of the NBA again. The millionaire rapper, born as Percy Miller in one of New Orleans poorest areas, was invited to training camp by the Toronto Raptors. He was waived by the Charlotte Hornets during camp last season. "He's very earnest about his dream of making it in the NBA," Raptors General Manager Glen Grunwald said. "We know he was in the Hornets camp last year. He's been working hard since then. He knows it's a long shot but he's willing to give it a go."

-- HEIGHT: 6-10. -- WEIGHT: 261. -- AGE: 25. -- COLLEGE: Georgetown. -- NICKNAME: Zo. -- DRAFTED: No. 2 overall by Charlotte Hornets in 1992. -- CONTRACT: Entering fourth-year of six-year, $25 million rookie contract that has escape clause after this season. Also in midst of five-year, $16 million Nike management contract. -- CAREER HIGHLIGHTS: Rookie of Year runner-up to Shaquille O'Neal in 1993. ... Member of Dream Team II at 1994 World Championships in Toronto. ... Selected for All-Star Game in 1994 and '95. ... One of only four players last season to lead team in four major statistical categories.

Alonzo Mourning has passed the first step. Now, he must wait. On Friday, he was named a finalist for the Basketball Hall of Fame. The class of 2014 will be announced in early April. "Just to be even considered to be a part of this prestigious fraternity is a tremendous honor," the longtime Miami Heat star said. "You just think of the history of the game of basketball that originated back in 1946. You think of all the players that came before me that paved the way for the opportunity I was given.

Phil Weber, a former assistant coach at the University of Florida and longtime NBA assistant coach, Tuesday was named coach of the Miami Heat's NBA Development League affiliate, the Sioux Falls Skyforce. Weber, who last worked in the NBA when Mike D'Antoni was coach of the New York Knicks in 2012, has been a consultant to Heat coach Erik Spoelstra since 2012. Weber is the second coach the Heat have placed with the Skyforce, in the second year of the teams' working agreement.

By the time the shock wears off and the summer winds down, the Miami Heat will come up with their post-Big Three marketing theme. An early suggestion, "Every Game Matters. " Because every one will, enough that Dwyane Wade won't be able to cherry-pick his playing schedule, enough that the Heat won't be able to say, "It's only Sacramento" or "It's just Utah. " No, it's not quite like trying to pick the perfect NCAA bracket (sorry, forgot Dan Gilbert was involved in that one)

Rookie guard Shabazz Napier signed with the Miami Heat on Friday, the team announced. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. Napier, who was drafted by the Charlotte Hornets at No. 24 before being acquired by the Heat on draft night, is a a two-time NCAA Champion with UConn. He appeared in 143 career games and averaged 13.7 points, 4.5 assists, 4.0 rebounds, 1.76 steals and 32.3 minutes while shooting 41.1 percent from the field, 37.5 percent from 3-point range and 81.3 percent from the foul line.

Mr. 305 wasn't going to allow money to get in the way. For his commitment, the Miami Heat are about to make power forward Udonis Haslem whole again. After opting out of the final, $4.6 million season on his contract in order to help facilitate the Heat's free-agency makeover, Haslem agreed Tuesday to return on a two-year, $5.6 million contract. It is the third time in as many negotiations with the Heat that the Miami Senior High product offered somewhat of a hometown discount, this one coming in the wake of decreased playing time amid the team's run to four consecutive NBA Finals.

It is a process even more meticulous than a five-man weave. There is no turnover in the NBA more costly than failing to execute contracts in the precise order required under the salary cap. So when the Miami Heat formally announced the signing of Mario Chalmers at midday Monday, it had nothing to do with Chalmers being viewed as more significant than the impending signings of Chris Bosh, Dwyane Wade, Luol Deng, Josh McRoberts, Chris...

The newest addition to the Miami Heat is still overwhelmed by the endorsement. Guard Shabazz Napier made plenty of memories while starring at Connecticut before being selected in the first round of Thursday's NBA Draft. Two national titles. First-team All-Big East. Leading the Huskies in scoring his final two seasons. None of that compares to being adored by the game's best player. Napier will enter this season's training camp as a potential solution to the Heat's point guard problems, but also as a player coveted by LeBron James.

Rookie guard Shabazz Napier signed with the Miami Heat on Friday, the team announced. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. Napier, who was drafted by the Charlotte Hornets at No. 24 before being acquired by the Heat on draft night, is a a two-time NCAA Champion with UConn. He appeared in 143 career games and averaged 13.7 points, 4.5 assists, 4.0 rebounds, 1.76 steals and 32.3 minutes while shooting 41.1 percent from the field, 37.5 percent from 3-point range and 81.3 percent from the foul line.

UConn point guard Shabazz Napier addressed the media at Barclays Center in Brooklyn after he was selected at No. 24 in Thursday's NBA Draft by the Charlotte Hornets and then was dealt to the Miami Heat. His interview: Napier: "The first thing I want to say is thank God. This is definitely a true blessing, and it's just special because my family's here. You know, my mother, my brother, my niece, and my sister. It just makes everything so special for me. "I'm a family¿oriented guy, and life would be definitely meaningless without my family. That's the first thing I want to get off my chest.

A look at Miami Heat first-round acquisition Shabazz Napier, the point guard out of UConn selected at No. 24 in Thursday's NBA Draft by the Charlotte Hornets and then dealt to the Heat: Player: Shabazz Napier Selected: No. 24 by Charlotte Hornets, dealt to Heat (Heat send No. 26 pick P.J. Hairston, No. 55 pick and future second-round pick to Charlotte). Height: 6-1. Weight: 180. School: Connecticut. Born: July 14, 1991. Highlights: First-team All-American as senior . . . American Athletic Conference Player of the Year as senior . . . Was Big East All-Rookie as a freshman . . . Played four seasons at UConn . . . Led Huskies to NCAA Tournament championship in 2011 and 2014 averaging team-high 18 points and ranking second on team at 5.9 rebounds per game as a senior.